Practicing soldierly art goes farther than larning a figure of techniques used to contend the enemy. Each soldierly art has a doctrine and interior filling. which helps people to larn non merely physical techniques. but besides grow and develop spiritually. For me. Taekwondo has become that really combination of physical exercisings and doctrine that helps me to understand the universe around me better. Bing an oriental matrimonial art. Taekwondo is based on the oriental manner of thought. faith and doctrine. I believe that many ides found in the basic text of Taoism calledTao Te Chingabsolutely correspond to the thoughts we learn in tae kwon do. Philosophic rules applied in Taekwondo can be used for both. head and organic structure. This soldierly art helps to develop head and gives it new apprehension of people and things about. Physical exercisings help to develop the organic structure.

Taoism is a native Chinese doctrine and faith. which appeared in the 6 century BC. Lao Tsu and Zhuanzu expressed positions opposing to those of Confucius. Lao Tsu expressed his philosophical and faiths credo in Tao Te Ching. which became the cardinal text of Daoism. The rules of non-action and emptiness taken from Tao Te Ching are the nucleus rules of Daoism. Non-action. the nucleus rule of Tao Te Thing is non that type of non-action as most of the Western audience would comprehend it. Lao Tsu speaks about that sort of non-action. when being unfastened to everything that happens around him. a individual lets things go on. Non-action trades with the trust. which is one of the basic rules of tae kwon do. Under trust we understand trust to the Universe and obeisance to the things which happened around you. So. we can see that non-action described in Tao Te Ching reflects one of the basic rules of Taekwondo.

God is non expressed by any concrete figure in Tao Te Ching. Any animal. which possesses God’s nature base in the side of righteousness. These thoughts can be linked to trueness. which is an of import portion of tae kwon do. Religious Daoism includes forfeits to different liquors. the usage of talismans to command them. All these inclinations are reflected in the doctrine of tae kwon do at the early phases of its development. Daoism underlines the importance of self-perfection and self-development. Lao Tsu is instead disbelieving about virtuousnesss. such as morality. proclaimed by Confucius. Self-perfection and self-development are among the nucleus values of tae kwon do. Peoples. who pattern this soldierly art attempt non merely to go physically strong. but besides want to develop a deeper apprehension of the chief rules of the Universe.

Taoism is a instruction of Tao – the kernel of everything. Tao is the lone thing. for which should strike all the living existences. Lao Tsu does non depict Taoism as a mere application of regulations. For him it largely consist sof following the interior nature and looking for interior truth. alternatively of looking for the grasp of the society.

The True Person avoids extremes.

self-indulgence. and extravagancy.

Avoiding extremes is of import for any individual who patterns soldierly art. True individual. as described by Lao Tsu. should go an thought each individual practising matrimonial art should endeavor for.

Lao Tsu sees the intent of self-denial in self-development and in making good for everyone and doing no force at the same clip.

I have three hoarded wealths that I cherish and hold fast.

The first is gradualness. the 2nd is simpleness.

the 3rd is make bolding non to be first among all things under Eden.

Because of gradualness I am able to be brave.

Because of simpleness I am able to be generous.

Because of make bolding non to be first I am able to take.

I believe that same rules can be applied to any sort of soldierly humanistic disciplines in general. and to taekwondo in peculiar. Practicing taekwondo assumes developing of self-denial as the manner to command your ain organic structure. your ain ideas and emotions. All these three constituents are of import for good combatant. For those people who do non pattern tae kwon do and cognize nil about its rules it may look strange that the rule of non-violence is besides of import in tae kwon do. But it is true. and non-violence is an of import facet of tae kwon do. Non-violence does non intend non contending. It merely means contending merely when it is necessary for self-defence or for the ends. justified by moral rules and criterions.

The True Person of Lao Tsu seeks for harmoniousness in self-perfection and attentions about fates of the others. He puts the hopes and desires of other people above their involvements and work stoppages for felicity for everyone. This self-perfection should besides go the chief rule of all people. who pattern tae kwon do. to my head. As provinces Lao Tsu. merely extremely developed and organized person can act upon the others and that makes the intent of self-denial. Controling yourself. your desires. dreams and hopes is a great forfeit but great people do non see a forfeit in it. as it is natural for them to care about other people. I besides think that self-denial is a quality which can be developed through exercise and tae kwon do is one of the ways to accomplish it.

There is no God in Taoism as in the Abrahamic faiths. at least God is non understood as a cosmopolitan being that created the existence and has the complete control over it. The beginning of the existence. harmonizing to Taoism. found from Tao. which is at the same clip impersonal control over the things that happen. However. Taoists besides communicate with their Tao as people of other faiths communicate with their God. The province of good combatant can be compared with the province of being in Tao. as I understand it. I think that this province consists of utmost concentration. combined with the relaxed observation of the things which happen around you. As provinces Lao Tsu. “The Great Virtue is to follow the Tao and merely the Tao. The Tao is shady and intangible. Intangible and evasive. and yet within it is a signifier. Evasive and intangible. and yet within it is a substance. Shadowy and dark. and vet within it is a critical force.

This critical force is existent and can be relied upon. ” ( Lao Tsu )
The natural order should non be changed ; it can be merely reached by the worlds. Merely practising we can make the province of unity and fall ining the great Dao could be achieved. The action in this manner becomes a non-action. which consists merely of following the perfect natural order ; the thought becomes non-thinking. which helps to bring out the great through suffering without the intervention of human encephalon. which merely creates obstructions. Same as human encephalon creates obstructions in mundane life. it creates obstructions during sparring and interrupting and forms. Get the better ofing this obstruction and moving as a portion of external force. which can besides be named Tao. is an ultimate end of Taekwondo practician. At the same clip. while the philosophical rules of Taoism can be applied for the better apprehension of tae kwon do. I besides think that doctrine of tae kwon do can be applied in mundane life.

Plants Cited

Kaltenmark. Max. . ”Lao Tzu and Taoism. ” Stanford: Stanford University Press. 1969

Levinson. David. “Religion A Cross Cultural Encyclopedia. ” New York: Oxford University Press. 1996.

Cooper. J. C. . “Yin and Yang: The Taoist Harmony of Opposites. ” Wellingborough: Aquarian Press. 1981

Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching ; Trans. Lau. Penguin Group ; England. 1963.

David H. Li. Dao De Jing: a New Millennium Translation. Premier Publishing. 2001.

Jonathan Star. Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Edition. New York. Penguin Books. 2001.

Han Hiong Tan. The Wisdom of Lao Zi – Dao De Jing. 2003.

Rudolf G. Wagner. A Chinese Reading of the Daodejing: Wang Bi’s Commentary on the Laozi With Critical Text and Translation. State University of New York Press. 2003.